As we count down the days before the start of fall camp, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look back at the four- and five-star signees during the Rivals.com era. How did they fare in Madison and how have the Badgers recruited each position when it comes to high-end talent?
Today, we examine how Wisconsin has done on the defensive line over the last 20 years.
RELATED: Reviewing Wisconsin's four- and five-star OL since 2002 | Reviewing Wisconsin's four-star QBs since 2002 | Reviewing Wisconsin's four-star WRs and TEs since 2002 | Reviewing Wisconsin's four-star RBs since 2002 | Reviewing Wisconsin's four-star DBs since 2002 | Looking back at Wisconsin's best recruiting runs |
Recruitment: Wisconsin's first five-star signee during the Rivals.com era, Justin Ostrowski, a Parade All-American, chose the Badgers over Notre Dame, among many other schools.
"Notre Dame's still recruiting me hard. But I'm staying with Wisconsin," Ostrowski told Rivals.com. "Coach (John) Palermo is a great defensive line coach. And Wisconsin is just 30 miles from home so it's hard to say no to them."
Career: Ostrowski suffered a broken kneecap and torn PCL during preseason camp in 2005. Though he worked his way back to the field, Ostrowski never returned to full strength and was forced to step away from football in 2007.
Recruitment: An All-American Bowl participant, in-state defensive tackle Nick Hayden selected Wisconsin over offers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska and Purdue.
"Michigan was second. It was close for awhile," Hayden told Rivals.com. "Then me and my family talked about it and we thought Wisconsin was the best place to go."
Career: During his time as a Badger, the former Arrowhead standout started the final 39 games of his career, registering 132 tackles, 10 sacks, one forced fumble and six fumble recoveries, the third most in school history. He also enjoyed a long career in the NFL with the Panthers, Bengals, Cowboys and Browns.
Recruitment: During his recruitment, Brandon Hoey narrowed his list to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Colorado, Arkansas and Nebraska before he committed to then-head coach Bret Bielema in September of 2005. Hoey was the No. 3-ranked player in Minnesota and the No. 23 defensive tackle in the nation as a senior at Mounds View High School. He recorded 96 tackles, including a school-record 22 for loss, as a senior.
Career: Another from the "what could have been" category, back injuries destroyed Hoey's career at Wisconsin. He was in the two-deep at tackle in 2007 but was forced to step away from football.
Recruitment: Tyler Westphal, an in-state defensive end from Menasha, jumped on an early offer from Virginia. But a scholarship from Bielema in the winter of 2007 forced a flip to the Badgers. The first commit for UW in the 2007 class competed in the Under Armour All-American Bowl, and expectations were high for Westphal when he arrived at Wisconsin.
Career: Injuries (shoulder) plagued Westphal's career in Madison and Westphal announced his transfer to North Dakota State prior to the start of spring camp in 2010. He enrolled at North Dakota State but after one week he left Fargo to join the Division III UW-Oshkosh Titans.
Recruitment: Four-star defensive tackle Jordan Kohout, a Rivals250 prospect, was Wisconsin's first commitment in the 2009 cycle. The Badgers were the first school to offer in the winter of 2008.
"You know when you take the tours and go on your official visit it's surreal to think you'll be a member of the team," Kohout told BadgerBlitz.com. "I remember seeing some of the players on my visits and it's weird to think they will be your teammate. Yesterday, I was lying in my bed and started thinking about how lucky I am. I couldn't believe I was going to play for the Wisconsin Badgers. It's one of those things you dream of as a child."
Career: At Wisconsin, Kohout was in the defensive tackle rotation for back-to-back Rose Bowl teams, but two “small strokes’’ linked to migraine headaches forced him to step away from football in 2012.
Recruitment: Wisconsin jumped on Homestead's Shelby Harris early in his recruitment and wrapped up his commitment during a junior day in February of 2008.
"We were watching some videos during one of the junior day segments and I had already seen them from the previous year," Harris told BadgerBlitz.com. "So, Coach (Bob) Bostad came down and got me and we went up to Coach Bielema's office. When we got in his office, I sat down with my mom and we had a good talk. Coach Bielema let me know that they wanted to offer. I had a short talk with my mom and I committed."
Career: The four-star prospect's talent was never realized at UW, as Harris was suspended early in his career and forced to transfer. He surfaced at Illinois State and was dismissed from that program before his final year of eligibility. Harris has since spent time in the NFL with the Raiders, Jets and Cowboys.
Recruitment: Brookfield Central's Chikwe Obasih had double-digit offers coming out of high school but Wisconsin's top competition was likely Iowa, the school his father attended as a graduate student. The former four-star prospect stayed committed to UW despite the head coaching change in 2012 from Bielema to Gary Andersen.
"The main question I had was, who else was leaving?" Obasih told Rivals.com. "I trust Barry Alvarez and from what I have heard from past players and everyone that was part of his era, they trust him. Alvarez told me we are going to have the same traditions, same ethics and they are going to bring someone else in who cares about their players like the current coaches have."
Career: Obasih developed into a multi-year starter at defensive end for Wisconsin. In four seasons, Obasih played in 49 games with 31 starts and recorded 95 total tackles, including nine TFLs and four sacks.
Recruitment: Wisconsin held on to four-star defensive tackle Garrett Rand despite a late push from UCLA. During his recruitment, the Rivals250 member and All-American Bowl participant also had offers from Arizona State, Nebraska, Stanford and Washington, among others.
Career: After five seasons at Wisconsin, Rand, who found a fit at end in UW's 3-4 scheme, elected not to return this fall due to injuries. He finished his career with 47 games played, 58 total tackles and one sack.
Recruitment: Four-star defensive tackle Rodas Johnson had 20-plus offers but Wisconsin, Penn State, Texas and Oklahoma were the favorites down the stretch in his recruitment. In November of 2018, the standout from Ohio committed to UW.
“My dad can say whatever he says, I can say whatever I want to say, but as long as Mom is happy,” Johnson told Rivals.com. “Momma knows what’s best. She really liked Wisconsin, I liked Wisconsin and Dad liked Wisconsin, so that was it.”
Career: Johnson redshirted in 2019 and played sparingly last fall. But after a strong spring camp, he is expected to have a spot in the two-deep behind projected starters Matt Henningsen and Isaiah Mullens in 2021.
"In terms of who has stood out, Rodas Johnson has had an unbelievable first three practices," position coach Ross Kolodziej said. "His challenge is going to be if he can continue to improve at that level."
